1. Field of the Invention
Pseudofolliculitis is a known condition, especially prevalent in persons having beards with a strong tendency to hair curling. It evinces itself after repeated beard shaving by inward growth of the beard hair into the skin and the subsequent formation of skin bumps with accompanying infection and eruptions.
It is a serious condition affecting a significant number of people, especially of African or Mediterranean descent, and has best been treated by restricting shaving by affected person.
Various treatments have been proposed for the amelioration of the adverse effect. These include U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,344, showing the use of a skin and beard conditioning compound, which is applied as part of the beard softening process (lathering) as a shaving aid. This patent is typical of the prior art in showing the use of a conditioning oil during the course of shaving.
Natural oils as a skin treatment providing a moist skin, including specifically the use of apricot kernel oil, avocado kernel oil and certain vitamins, including vitamin A, are shown in example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,902 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,235.
Various cosmetic preparations have been proposed utilizing fine oat flour as a binding and stabilizing agent; these include U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,995, and earlier patents showing the use of similar flours or pulverized plant substances as cohesion agents, such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,876,164 for soybean flour, U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,839 teaching generally pulverized plant substances, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,180 teaching cornstarch or cosmetic clay. In each of the patents the principal teaching is that the compound provides a binding agent performing a facial pack. There has been a continual use of oat flour dating back to U.S. Pat. No. 1,550,026, in which oat flour is shown as a binding agent for applying a skin astringent.
The emphasis in the prior art has been upon the teaching of an oil based softener for use as a shaving aid to ease the cutting of the beard.
2. General Background of the Invention